Ball-rack



Patented July 6, 1920 -2 SHEEIS-SHILEI l.

T. R. HAYES AND L. E. KITSON.

BALL RACK. l APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, I9I9.

Patented July 6, 192.0.

2 SHEES-SHEE 2- BALL RACK.

APPLlcATloN FILED FEB. 20. 191s.

l Lll gUNITED STATES PATENT 'o1=i l cE. 1

THOMAS n. HAYES AND LAWRANCE n. KrrsoN, or PORLLLAND,V OREGON.

BALL-RACK.

Application filed February 20, 1919. Serial No. 278,274.

To all whom it may concern: y Be it known that we, THOMAS R. HAYES, a citizen of Canada, and LAwRANon E. KrrsoN, ya citizen oi the United States, each residing at Fortland, in thecounty ol Multnomah and State o Oregon, have invented a new and useiiul lmprovementin Ball-Racks, of which the following is a specification, reif* erence being had vto the accompanying drawings.

Our invention used 'to `hold billiard and poolballs particularly. i

The object of our inventionisv to provide a device or this kind wherein mechanism is arranged automatically to register' the number of games played and the number of players .in each game, as the balls are removed `or the'racks opened .for players. We attain these objects, as well as other advan-y tages, by the construction,combination and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings which iorm a part hereof.

y Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device with parts broken away. y Fig. 2 is a right end elevation.

' Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 in Fig.v 1.

Fig. l is a like view on the line 1 -4.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view on the line' 5 5 in Fig. 1.

"Fig: 6 is a front :elevation lofthe device with parts broken away andshowing racks adjustable in horizontal position.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of a key used in operating Ithe mechanism.

Fig. 8 isa sectional view on the line V8---8- in Fig. 6.A 1

Like letters and numerals refer to like parts lin the views. .f

A casing A of desired form and dimensions is provided, having longitudinal, in# clined'ball racks Btherein.v A receiving receptacle, or basket C, is suspended from the casing below the lower ends of the racks B. The upper ends of the lracks haveopeni'ngsv 9, through which balls 10 maybe passed into the racks. Within thek casing a vertical slide 11,-havinganopening 11 froma recessed lowerpart thereof, is arranged adjacent to the lower ends 'ofthe ballracks. This slide l has openings -12, of a size which will allow the balls `1O-to pass through them from the i Specification of Letters Patent.

relates to a class of devices y Patented July 6,1920.

rack opposite, and the slide is ypositioned a sufiicient distance from `the opposing end wall of the casing to allow space for the balls to drop downwardly therein and without the casing into the basket 1C, through the openings 13 in the bottom of the casing. Above the uppermost rack a partition 141 is placed. Near the upper ends of thepartition 111 and theracks below it, except the lowest one, tumbling catches 15, of right angle form are pivotedin their centers by' transverse pivots 15V in and near the ends of said parts'and at a desireddi'stance from the `casing end. A stoppin 1G is placed transversely in said parts beneath the horizontal arm Vof each catch. A vertical slide 17 is arranged within the Acasing and between its wall and the upper ends of the racks B. The slideis of a length, to allow it to be raised within the casing above the entrance to the uppermostv rack, and it is held above'the two lower racks at all times. It has dogs 18 on its inner surface and a liftinghandle 19 on its outer sur- Aface at the lower end. The end ofthe casin is open opposite the upper endsv of the'ball racks. .A registeringmechanism to register the number of racks above the two lower ones as used by players is arranged within the casing. This consists ofA a register .20, positioned above the Vracks on a'shelf 30', a lever means 21 connected with and extending trom the register and arranged to allow theV dogs 1S, in theirr upward movement, to enw gage the free end oi the means 21 and cause the register to tally, alsoto allow the dogs to pass below said means without aifecting the register. Mechanism is provided to retain the slide 17 at a desired height and to release it, which will be now described.

There` 1s ahorizontallyfmovable rod 22, having oney end in Lpositiontoy engage re cesses 23 inthe inner surface of. the slide 17,LV

also.` having a lug 241 in a vdesired position thereon. Brackets 25 are prov1ded toyretain the rodz23 in alined position. There is a1 lever 26 horizontally movable and pivoted on afpivot 27 nearthe'opposite end of the rod 22. One end of the lever 26 is forked andengages a pivot pin k2 8 in the adjacent v end-of the rod 22, the free end of the lever beingpositioned soit can be .moved forwardly when a cam-*plate 29 on the slide 11 engagesit, which `will cause the .rod 22 to move rearwardly. A spring 30fis secured at QI e one end to the lever 2G between its torked end and its pivot, the opposite end of the spring being secured to the shell at a point 3l toward the slide 17. A vertically movable rod 32 'is arranged parallel with the inner surface ol thel casing wall in a position where its lower end will rest upon a key socket 534:, which extends through an opening Se in the casing wall 33, below the racks7 which opening is large enough to allow an upward movement of the socket. T he socket itl has an opening therein and a pin connection 236 to the rod 32 also a heel 37 at its inner end. The rod 32 has a cam plate 38 on its upper end in position to engage the lug A vertical spring 89 is secured at its lower end upon the inner surface of the casing licor by a screw h), the upper end of the spring having a cam shoulder ll formed and arranged to slide upon and engage the upper suri'ace of the socket heel The spring 39 has a horizontal pin 42 which extends theretrom through the opening and within the socket The pin has a collar adjacent to the spring to retain the pin loosely within the spring and allow the pin to be raised slightly.

lifiechanisii'i to register games is provided, which will be now described.

A key socket lf3 extends through an opening-Ale in the casing wall. lll, said opening being large enough to allow the socket to move upwardly. The socket extends into a recessed lower part oi' the slide ll. The socket is secured to the slide 1l by a screw 4S. A horizontal pin elfo' extends trein within the recessed part of the slide ll through the opening ll and into a recess llo in the opposite casing wall. A pivot pin -l9 is secured upon the opposite end of the pin 6. il vertical arm 17 is pivoted in its cenier upon a rigid pivot within the slide 'll the lower end et' the arm being pivoted on the pin 4:9. The upper end of the arm 4T is pirated upon a pivot 4129 of the inner end or a horizontal key bar which extends therelrom through the opening l5 and within the key socket 43. rl spring 5G is secured at one end upon and near the upper end of the arm l? and its opposite end is secured to the outward part ol the slide ll. A register 5l is secured upon the upper surface of the shell' 30 at a desired distance from the upper end oiv the slide l1. Tt has a register operating lever arm 527 bearing a transverse pin 52 in its upper end. A vertical standard 53 is secured at its lower end upon the shell 30 between the register and the upper end of the slide ll. A transverse arm 54e is pivoted in its center upon a pin 55, transversely positioned in the upper end of the standard 53. Thel arm 54; has slots 5G and 5G iu its respective ends. The pin 52 eX- tends through the slot 56. A bar 57 is secured at its lower end upon the slide 1l by screws 5S. The bar 57 has a transverse pin on its upper end, which extends through the slot 56 of the arm 54.

A key GO with a recess Gli. in its end is provided to insert in the sockets 3l and 43 to engage the pins 45:2 and 5() respectively.

fr horizontal, hinged cover 32 is provided upon the upper part of the casing to inclosc the registering mechanism above the shelf 30. The cover 62 haslocking means 63.

There must always be at least two players, hence the two lower racks in the device are never closed. lVhen a game is tallied upon the register 51 it always includes the first two7 or two players only. The number of players in excess of the lirst two is always shown by the register 20. Then two players only are using the device in the two lower racks the balls may be inserted in the rack appropriate to each but cannot he removed therefrom because of the tumbling catches l5 preventing removal. The balls thus used cannot be taken from the lower end of the racks until the key is inserted, by the operator in charge, within the socket liand movement of the intervening meehanism allowed.

This mechanism is actuated by causing the key to release and raise the socket and it in turn to raise the slide ll which releases the balls and they pass out oit the racks and drop into the basket. The same movement of the key causes the intervening mechanism to operate the register 5l lor a game tally. The key is then withdrawn, the slide ll closes the racks automatically, and the apparatus is ready for another game and reception of balls as before.

It will be seen also that when more than two players are using the racks, the key is inserted in the socket 84, pressed rearwardly and then raised. This operates the intervening mechanism and releases the loclfei'l slide 17 which is then raised to open as many ot the upper racks as are desired 'for excess players. lVhcn so raised the key withdrawn and the slide is locked automatically in the desired position, while the opened racks are used in the same manner as already described for two players. lWhen the. slide is thus raised the dogs 11S engage the lever mechanism 2l in succession and it automatically causes the register 20 to tally each closable rack as it is opened. l/Vhen a game is played with excess players, the slide 17 is released when the game is tallied by use of the key to release the balls as aforesaid, by reason of the ball release slide ll engaging the lever arm 26 and it in turn through intervening mechanism releasing the slide 17 so that it drops automatically to its lowest position shown in Fig. l. It is obvious that the actual num.- ber of games played is always tallied when the balls are removed .from the racks for lli) further play. The device is particularly adaptable to lpool games which require a large number of balls and in which several players may participate and theballs must be removed from a pool table to a rack to compute individual scores. It is also obvious that where players are 'charged an individual price for playing, the register tally of players is necessary. It is to obtain this tally and prevent further use of the balls until a game is nished that we have arranged our device as illustrated. By the game register the operator has useful information as to whether a small or large number of players have participated in any given number of games during a period for which it is computed. It is further obvious that the total number of players must be obtained by adding two for each game to the total number shown by the register 20.

In Figs. 6 and 8 we have shown a means of retaining the racks in horizontal position during a game if desired. It is accomplished by making a rigid member 64 therein, corresponding to the slide 11, and pivoting the racks on pivots 65 at one end. The opposite ends are secured to vertical side bars 66. A yoke 67 is formed on the upper ends of these bars and is attached to the game registering mechanism and operated by similar mechanism below as in the other form. A catch 68 or any desired meansy to hold the bars 66 when raised and to allow them to be released by the key, is provided. In this arrangement there is a reversal of the operation only. They key is inserted to raise the racks andthe balls cannot pass out. l/Vhen the game is finished the mechanism is'operated to drop the racks. This allows the register' to tally and the balls to pass out as before. We have described this form only to indicate that it does not change the principle of our invention in any way.

Our invention provides a most convenient and eiiicient means of tallying games and players in games, for the purpose of computing cash receipts therefor. It is apparent that errors cannot occur, as the racks must be tallied for each player andthe balls in a rack cannotbe released after deposit without tallying a gamey played. The

tioned to engage the slide in its recesses and having a spring to retain it in such engagement, and a lug upon the rod, a vertically movable rod having a cam plate on its upper end arranged to engage the lug on the slidable rod and move the rod out Vof engagement with the slide and to release it into engagement therewith, means to lock, unlock and raise or lower said vertical rod, and a register provided with mechanism eX- `tending therefrom toward the said slide and arranged in a manner whereby the dogs upon the slide, when moving upwardly, will engage said mechanism and by its means cause the register `to tally and may pass said mechanism, when moving downwardly, without causing the register to tally.

2. In a ball rack provided with a casing, the combination therein of a plurality of racks adapted at one end to receive balls of a desired diameter, a vertically movable slide, adjacent to the opposing ends of said racks, through which balls may pass out of the racks when vthe openings-are opposite-thereto and arranged so that the slide shall prevent their passage otherwise, a register having intermediate mechanism connecting `it with the upperv end of the slide and by means of which the register can be caused to tally when the slide is raised to allow passage of balls through it, and means to lock,

unlock and allow said slide to move verticall y THOMAS R. HAYES.

LAWRANCE E. KITSON. Witnesses:

DELIA SMITH W'RIGHT, M. S. CLEFTON.

provided with openings therein- 

